Both sides of time
Caroline B. Cooney
Both sides of time
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Caroline B. Cooney
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Fifteen-year-old Annie Lockwood discovers she can travel through time, but each century she visits pulls her into complicated love triangles and difficult choices. As she navigates the elegant world of 1895 and her own modern life, Annie faces the challenge of balancing love and loyalty across eras. Will she find a place where she truly belongs, or must she sacrifice happiness in both times?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5-6 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include romantic content, mild peril. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Both sides of time 10LP
Both sides of time is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 210 pages (approximately 48,518 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.3 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Both sides of time works for readers up to grade 7.3.
Read aloud, Both sides of time runs about 5.4 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Both sides of time as 10LP ("Light — Physical") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Romantic Content, Mild Peril.
Thematically, Both sides of time explores romance, time travel, coming of age, and adventure — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about romance, time travel, coming of age.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 2 more books in the Time Travel Quartet series.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
10LP — Light — PhysicalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Content Flags
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
5/10Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
More in the Time Travel Quartet Series
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0385321740
- Pages
- 210
- Publisher
- Delacorte Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 1995
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 48,518
- Read-Aloud
- ~5h 23m
- Text Density
- Standard